Some 1000 athletes are expected at the 2022 UCI Road World Championships, where they will discover courses conducive to gripping races with magnificent circuits and an innovative programme. The routes, designed to meet the expectations of athletes and fans alike, will give spectators the chance to witness the next winners of the rainbow jersey in an exceptional setting.
Time trials
The 2022 edition of the UCI Road World Championships will get under way on Sunday 18 September with the Women Elite and Men Elite time trials, which will take place on the same day, on the same course and over the same distance. This is a first in the history of the UCI Road World Championships and is in line with the UCI’s priority of promoting gender equality.
The time trials for all categories will be raced on an urban circuit. The distance will be slightly longer for Elite athletes, stretching north to Towradgi Beach and back to the heart of Wollongong.
The rolling and rapid time trial course will enable specialists of the race against the clock to draw on their specific qualities. The riders will pass through some of the city’s symbolic sites such as Squire’s Way, public hub Thomas Dalton Park, the University of Wollongong Innovation Campus and the beachside Stuart Park. The circuit culminates along Cliff Road, past the Wollongong lighthouse at Flagstaff Hill through to the finish line on Marine Drive adjacent to the beautiful City Beach.
Road races
The Men Elite and Women Elite road races will take place on the weekend of 24 and 25 September. The start of the circuit will be situated in the hamlet of Helensburgh, bordering Royal National Park north of Wollongong. The peloton will then travel south to Stanwell Tops before passing by the region’s famous Bald Hill lookout and descending toward the city via Coalcliff and along the inimitable Sea Cliff Bridge.
The Mount Keira loop climbs up to 473m. The mountain is favoured among local riders for its tough ascent stunning sub-tropical surrounds and the spectacular descent through Kembla Heights, Cordeaux Heights and out to Port Kembla steelworks.
The Wollongong City Circuit - which is also the course for the Junior and Under 23 riders – is a technical route through the suburbs of Gwynneville, Mount Ousley, Mount Pleasant, Fairy Meadow and North Wollongong. The steady ascent along Mount Ousley Road to Mount Pleasant is deceptively tough, reaching a maximum elevation of 119m.
UCI President David Lappartient declared: “After five years in Europe, the UCI dearly wanted to see its UCI Road World Championships organised on another continent. After Richmond (USA) in 2015 and Doha (Qatar) in 2016, I am delighted that Wollongong was chosen to host for our leading annual event in 2022. This marks a return to Oceania, indeed to Australia, 12 years after the UCI Road World Championships in Melbourne and Geelong in 2010.
“All conditions must be met to ensure athletes can compete to their best and offer the public a fantastic show. I know Wollongong will meet our expectations. This UCI Bike City has proven many times its commitment to providing cyclists of all levels the best infrastructures possible.
“Although the Covid-19 pandemic has limited our ability to visit Wollongong to date, the UCI looks forward to visiting in the first quarter of 2022 to meet the people implicated in the organisation of this event, to finalise the planning with the organising committee and confirm all the details of the competition, which will then be communicated to the whole international cycling community.”
Wollongong 2022 Race Director, Scott Sunderland said: “There’s nowhere in the world like Australia, and I think the elevation of the region will surprise some people,”
“The 2022 UCI Road World Championships courses have all the makings to produce sensational races that will unearth worthy medallists and create memories for fans and athletes alike.”
2022 UCI Road World Championships Programme:
Saturday 17 September : Training
Sunday 18 September: Women Elite time trial Men Elite time trial
Monday 19 September: Men Under 23 time trial
Tuesday 20 September: Women Junior time trial Men Junior time trial
Wednesday 21 September: Team time trial mixed relay
Thursday 22 September : Training
Friday 23 September : Men Junior road race Men U23 road race
Saturday 24 September: Women Junior road race Women Elite road race
Sunday 25 September: Men Elite road race